Mentor
by tessa.w
Summary: It began with Eragon... It ends with this.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

I stood at the edge of my farm in Thereinsford, waiting. They say patience is a virtue, but curiosity and  
excitement was rushing through my veins, no patience left. I had been waiting for days, and alas, finally  
my day was here.

But, of course, they had to be over an hour late.

I heard something moving behind me; twigs snapping, a sort of snuffling. I whirled around, dagger at the ready (which was always fastened at my hip) and bent my knees slightly. This was a reflex from my days at my father's farm – you never knew when a sneaky fox would slip in.

However, a fight was not needed. I analyzed the situation quickly, gave a little abashed grin, and slipped the dagger back into my sheath.  
**  
Hello, Naftalia.  
**_  
_"Good morning, Dragon," I replied aloud.

She gave a snort at the name; she did not like to be addressed as "Dragon", as much as I would have liked to be referred to as "Human" or "Woman", as she had reminded me several times. But I had no choice; when Galbatorix was defeated and the Riders became known to the villages and towns in Alagaesia again, the history of the dragons were long gone. Instead of warming to a new Rider in their midst, as I'd have thought, the people of Therinsford shied away from me, as if I were an unnatural alien. Even some of the children, whom I used to be in close contact with, avoided me at all costs. So, even if some of the storytellers or elders knew any dragons' names, they would not have informed me of them.  
I had considered naming her Saphira, after the Kingkiller/Shadeslayer Eragon and Brom's dragon(s). Her scales were an icy blue, which coincided with the name vaguely. But finally, I did not deem it appropriate; Eragon and Brom were extraordinary, famous Riders, and I was a mere fledgling. Having been a Rider for two months, I enjoyed the mind-conversations of Dragon and I, but the small guidance I had gained from Arya (an elf, a Rider, and also an ambassador for the elves) were terrifying. She seemed so cold, expressionless.

An alien.

Perhaps the villagers of Therinsford thought of me that way, too. Then, I could not blame them. But had they not known me for years? Felton Grasson's daughter, the one who was perhaps a little mischievous, but I was perfectly loyal and trusting, wasn't I? Did I not tend to the sick, or provide starving families with my father's crops without charge? Did I not patch up Avelina Hilkertdaughter's little boy, when he had broken his foot near our farm? Yet now, Avelina was one of the most terrible to me in the village.  
I was broken out of my reverie when Dragon spoke in my mind once again.

**Naftalia, you must pay more attention to your surroundings. If you weren't so lost in your imaginations, then perhaps you could have heard me coming. **

**I did hear you coming.** This time I spoke mind-to-mind with her.

She looked at me reproachfully with her large, amber eyes. **You know what I mean, Naftalia. You could have heard my presence, in your head. You will need to master it. **

**Oh.**

There was an awkward, almost painful silence. Then, perhaps feeling a more humorous comment was needed, she said, **You know, you could have impaled me with that dagger.**

**Hah! As if.** I walked over to her and tapped one of her shoulder scales with the tip of my finger. **You have scales, remember? I could barely scratch them if I tried.  
**  
We both chuckled, hers a deep, throaty, coughing sound.

Suddenly, she stopped and raised her head to the sky.  
**  
They're here,**she breathed.

I smiled, raising my head also and squinting my eyes against the noonday sun.  
**  
Finally.**

* * *

Hello! :)  
I hope the bold lettering and underlining isn't too difficult to determine who's thought is who's.  
Also, you may be wondering, how did a human get hold of an egg, since there was only two, which were supposed to be for the Urgals and dwarves?  
Don't worry, this will be cleared up in the next few chapters!  
-Tessa  
R&R


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Again, I waited; and although in reality it was probably just a matter of seconds, it seemed longer than my days of waiting.

There was a slight twinge of disappointment in my heart when the emerald-green dragon, Firnen, touched down. I knew that with the presence of this dragon, Arya must be near too. I was not too fond of the elf, nor the dragon. Both were menacing, as though they were criticizing my every move.

I inclined my head to the great creature, afraid to touch minds with him. It seemed a rude gesture to one whom I've seen only on occasion. Firnen looked at me and Dragon, blinking once and slightly tipping his head towards Dragon. They seemed to share a few words, unlike with me.

There was a stab of surprise when I saw that Arya was not on Firnen's back, although he wore a heavy leather saddle with various buckles and straps. Sweat beaded on my brow – did Arya expect me to ride Firnen, by myself, with no help whatsoever? Should I ask him? Where was I supposed to go?

Galloping hooves sounded behind me; for the second time today, I turned on my heel and my dagger shone in my fingers. And yet, once again, it was not needed.

Arya rode, head high, on a tall, black stallion, in lead of two other horses. The elf on her left rode a skinny mare, dark grey and spotted. He and the mare had a sort of prestigious aura around them.

But it was the elf on her right that caught my attention, if he could even be called one. He rode a strong stallion, mahogany brown with a white stripe down it's muzzle.

The elf was the strangest thing I've ever seen. He was a midnight blue colour, covered in fur, like a forest cat. He had were large, sharp, amber-yellow eagle eyes fringed with dark lashes. He opened his mouth to breathe, and I caught a glimpse of his pearly white, wolfish fangs.

Trying to recollect my professional manner, I closed my gaping mouth and inclined my head to all three of them. Only Arya jumped off her horse, and inclined her head as I'd done to Dragon and I. The other two gave a strange gesture, saying, "Atra esterní ono thelduin.", then stared at me, as if expecting me to answer them.

Arya glanced back at two elves, saying something in another language. The two unfamiliar elves then nodded, and stopped their searching gaze at me, although I suspected that they were still watching me out of the corner of their eyes.

"Naftalia, Dragon." Arya said in a monotone greeting. The prestigious elf started at the common, almost rude name of Dragon. The strange one did not react as much, but his body slightly stiffened.

"Arya." **Arya. **Dragon's voice echoed mine.

As if she could read my mind, Arya promptly introduced the two elves.

"This is Vanir," she introduced as the one on the gray horse. "And this is Blodhgarm," she said as she held out a hand at him.

"Vanir, Blodhgarm," I greeted. Dragon echoed me.

"We shall begin our journey then, Naftalia. We've no time to spare. Let us leave immediately." Arya led me to the black stallion. "You will be riding Shadow. Dragon is too small to have you ride her for such long distances."

Long distances?

"If you don't mind, Arya, where are we going?"

Arya glanced at me evenly, then strode over to Fenir and opened one of the saddlebags. When she turned around, I saw that she was holding a large, yellowing piece of parchment.

"I must make this quick, Naftalia. We do not have much time."

She unrolled the map swiftly, and I stiffened with amazement. My closed mouth gaped open once again.

When I think of Alagaesia, I think of Therinsford being the middle, the hub of the wheel, with the Spine on the side and the Anora River running along it. But now I see that it was most certainly not. Thereinsford was barely a speck on the map. There was a whole other side, showing where the elves lived, I presumed. But she kept this hidden from me, and put a pale hand over the right side of the map.

"We are here," she told me, pointing at the speck that was Thereinsford. "We must travel straight through the Spine, to the coast." Her finger was moving as she spoke. "From then on, I will leave Shadow with Vanir and Blodhgarm so you and I can fly freely to...here." Arya was pointing to a place named Vroengard, and quite a large spot in the middle of it called Doru Araeba. Vroengard was a sort of droopy star-shaped island, North-West of Therinsford. It seemed to be quite a ways away, parted from Alagaesia by a formidable body of water.

"But my Queen! Blodhgarm and I are not to leave you once we reach the coast. There could be dangers abroad." The prestigious Vanir spoke for the first time.

Queen?

Arya was a Queen? Queen of the elves?

Oh my.

* * *

Hello!  
I know this isn't my best work, but please bear with me. I'm sorry this isn't a terribly exciting chapter, but it was needed. The next should be much more exciting! :D  
-Tessa W.  
R&R!


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